Sip & Savor | Fall 2022

ON THE COVER Molcajete Mexican Grill

The world’s best co ee makers are turning to MOLDY BEANS

Kat Odell Bloomberg News (TNS)

Chefs generally want to keep mold out of their kitchens, but they make an exception for koji. For around a decade, the fungus has been a secret weapon for trailblazing chefs like Rene Redzepi at Noma in Copenhagen, used to ferment grains, cure proteins and impart umami to dishes both sweet and savory.

Now, the culinary world’s most popular mold is poised to become the biggest trend in the specialty coffee world. Enterprising producers believe the multipurpose ingredient can improve on mediocre coffee beans, and produce a better-tasting caffeinated cup.

It’s an opportune time to maximize coffee bean quality. The price of Arabica beans, the most popular in the world, has more than doubled in the past year and a half.

“The biggest thing that makes koji great is the potential to grow sweetness in coffees that are lacking, or to enhance a coffee to a higher grade,” says Mason Salisbury, co-founder of Nevada-based Luminous Coffee, one of the country’s first koji coffee adopters. Salisbury started selling his fermented beans this spring; a 200gram bag goes for $30.

A handful of specialty coffee shops

around the world have begun releasing bags of koji coffee, including Ohio’s Phoenix Coffee, The Netherlands’ Manhattan Coffee Roasters and Hatch, in Ontario, Canada. Manhattan Coffee Roasters sold out of stock quickly, moving 100 kilos (220 lb) of koji coffee in 72 hours.

Whether brewed via the filter method or pour-over, part of the appeal of the koji process is that, when done right, it doesn’t add a flavor of its own. For industry professionals, the coffee is revolutionary for its ability to boost the quality of a basic bean and turn it into a better version of itself. For the consumer, koji means a rounder, silkier, sweeter brew.

The process garnered serious attention after Finnish barista Kaapo Paavolainen of Helsinki’s One Day Coffee brewed the unconventional koji beans in public for the first time at the World Barista Championship in Milan in October.

“The championships … are so big that it can define entire crops of coffee for years to come,” Paavolainen says.

El Vergel Estates, a boutique coffee farm in Colombia that’s known for high-end, exotic cultivars, is credited with producing the first successful batch of koji-treated beans. The farm collaborated with a team of koji enthusiasts to use the mold — a strain of the aspergillus oryzae fungus, best known for its ability to turn rice into

sake and soy beans into miso paste — for coffee. They included Salisbury; Christopher Feran, director of Phoenix Coffee; chef Jeremy Umansky (his Cleveland, Ohio deli Larder, sells products like koji-cured pastrami); and Koichi Higuchi, a seventh-generation koji spore producer based in Osaka, Japan.

The process is deceptively simple. It starts by sprinkling freshly picked coffee cherries with yellow-white koji powder — a substance that looks like flour — then gently mixing with a paddle. The berries then sit for two days, producing a fluffy white fur, before being sun-dried for two to three weeks. They’re milled to remove the outer husk, and shipped to openminded roasters.

The process, which Feran dubbed the Koji Supernatural Protocol, led to the world’s first koji-processed coffee beans in 2020. Paavolainen brewed the second harvest on stage during last year’s World Barista Championship.

Following the demo, “there was massive amounts of interest for the processing amongst my colleagues,” says Paavolainen. Many were incredulous that a coffee bean’s quality could be improved with mold.

Koji coffee’s accentuated sweetness is created when fermentation produces enzymes that break down proteins in the coffee cherry into

amino acids, and the starches into fermentable sugars, Feran says. These help “increase a coffee’s perception of sweetness, fruitiness and complexity,” he says.

Koji has “the power to transform even the most mundane of ingredients,” Umansky says. The process allows coffee to “become more brilliant than the original bean,” says Rabi Aouam, founder of Spain’s Kima Coffee, another early adopter.

Fans eager to try the brew can expect a slightly pricier cup of joe. In general, koji coffee costs around twice as much per pound compared with regular coffee, which amounts to $5 to $7 per cup in most shops. The coffee is now creeping onto menus at places like Luminous in Brooklyn; in Bristol, UK, Sweven occasionally stocks the beans. And as koji-processing has expanded to farms in Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Brazil and Indonesia, the fermented coffee is set to become more widely available worldwide this fall.

For Paavolainen, the transformative potential of koji coffee is easy to encapsulate: “Be all that you can be,” he says.

©2022 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

At Hatch in Ontario, Canada, koji coffee is on the menu. (Hatch Coffee/TNS)

Sacramento couple creates traveling POP-UP RESTAURANTS

to serve unique food at microbreweries

Randy Diamond The Sacramento Bee (TNS)

Apassion for trivia night at Sacramento microbreweries led Angelika Feldman and Christoper Lee to create their own trav eling pop-up restaurant.

Feldman said playing trivia was fun, but the typical fried food-truck fare provided at the microbreweries didn’t always play nice with their digestive tracts.

“Every time we would go to trivia, it would either be tacos, pizza or some kind of over-the-top fried crazy food that would just make you feel sick to your stomach after,“ said Feldman. “It was good at the time, but not so good after. “

Feldman, 30, and Lee, 35, met in May 2020 and soon after started selling pasta, crackers and dried pastas at farmers markets. Their business called Flora & Fauna Provisions — think plants and animals in a broad sense — evolved to include selling jams, beer nuts and mustard.

They received their catering license in March of this year, enabling them to cater private parties, weddings, graduations and other events.

On June 28, they held their first micro brewery pop-up restaurant event. Two months later, they have become regulars at a rotating set of microbreweries.

A good response

At a recent pop-up dinner at Nitty’s Cider in Sacramento, Feldman and Lee brought their pots and pans, a portable grill and a fryer, running

their whole kitchen under a small tent.

The demand was strong for the menu items. They included house-cured pork-belly sliders with bacon, fried eggs aioli, farmers market tomatoes and butter lettuce on a brioche bun, a cucumber melon salad with feta cheese and bratwurst on a pretzel bun with a choice of housemade toppings.

“We had everything on the menu because it all sounded so amazing and we were really hungry,” said Katrina Lund, a social worker, who dined with her sister and two friends at the pop-up restaurant.” And I think collectively our favorite was the sliders. They were simple in the best way. Every ingredient on the sliders had so much flavor.”

Others eating at the pop-up restaurants were fans of the sausage sandwich.

And probably for good reason. Lee’s day job is as a sausage maker at V. Miller meats, a Sacramento butcher shop.

Respect to local farmers

A point of passion for Feldman is that all the local vegetables served are from local Sacramento area farms, adding to the freshness of the dishes.

She said while Sacramento has been dubbed the farm-to-fork capital of the U.S., the farmers are still in the background.

“Everyone celebrates all these chefs,” she said, “but no one is celebrating the farmer. We wouldn’t have food without the farmer.”

When customers compliment Feldman and Lee about the food at the Nitty’s Cider event, the couple were

quick to speak about the local farms contributing to the food experience.

Feldman said she will soon be adding a shout-out board listing the farmers at future events.

Where you will find them

On any given week, the Flora and Fauna Provisions pop-up goes to several different microbreweries.

On Labor Day weekend, the traveling restaurant made three Sacramento appearances.

Feldman, like Lee, works a day job, but hers is not in the food industry. She works as an inpatient aide at Sutter Medical Center.

Feldman said she doesn’t mind the two jobs, and she loves providing patient care, but food is her passion.

She said she fell in love with food as a little girl, watching the food network more than cartoons.

A career in food

Her first job was working at a doughnut shop and deli, and by the time she was 16, she was employed at Nugget Markets, the Sacramento area supermarket chain. By 18, she was working at the market’s specialty cheese department as a cheesemonger.

Her training included visiting dairies and cheese makers, to become an expert in cheese and charcuterie.

Feldman left the food industry in 2017, only to fall in love again with her original passion, when she met Lee in 2020. Food has been a major love for Lee too.

He started in the culinary world at age 20. He attended the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Natomas and did an externship for several months in Northern Spain. His Spain experience included working as a line cook in a rural restaurant.

While the pair’s immediate goal is to grow their pop-up restaurant business, Feldman and Lee do have a long-term vision.

They want to open, like many chefs, their own brick and mortar restaurant, finding a permanent home for their food.

“Food is a love language all its own,” Lee said, “and once you have fallen in love with food, there is no going back.”

©2022 The Sacramento Bee. Visit sacbee.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Smoked peach chipotle chicken lollipops wait to be served at the pop-up Flora & Fauna Provisions outside Nitty’s Cider in Sacramento, California. (Xavier Mascareñas/The Sacramento Bee/TNS)

Angelika Feldman, who owns Flora & Fauna Provisions with partner and chef Christopher Lee, takes orders at the pop-up eatery outside Nitty’s Cider in Sacramento, California, in July. “I call myself the culinary creator because I do a lot of the cooking and the menu writing as well,” Feldman said. (Xavier Mascareñas/The Sacramento Bee/TNS)

Keto vs. Mediterranean diet:

Which is the best choice for diabetics?

Morayo Ogunbayo The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

The Mediterranean diet and the ketogenic, or keto, diet have both received praise over the past few years for their abilities to help people lose and maintain weight, as well as cutting blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

The “low-carb” diets were both created with the goal of reducing sugars and refined grains, with the keto diet being the more restrictive of the two. The diets aimed

to add more starchy vegetables to a person’s diet, which have been found to be beneficial to people with any form of diabetes.

While the diets share many similarities, their exact outcomes are not the same. In a study of 33 people with diabetes conducted for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that the keto diet had a 9% drop in HbA1c, or blood sugar levels, while the Mediterranean diet only resulted in a 7% drop.

While both diets showed a decrease in weight, the keto diet maintained a slight edge with an 8% drop in weight versus the Mediterranean diet’s 7%.

For cardiometabolic parameters, the keto diet saw a much larger drop in triglycerides, at 16%, while the Mediterranean diet only had a 5% drop.

However, the Mediterranean diet did have the edge on some metrics. For LDL cholesterol, often known as “bad” cholesterol, the keto diet had a 10% increase, while the Mediterranean diet had a 5% decrease. Also, those following the keto diet saw a drop in nutrients compared to those on the Mediterranean diet and had a much lower intake of fiber.

In the keto diet, the goal is to reach “ketosis,” in which the body does not have enough carbs

to burn for energy, so it begins to burn fat. It is quite restrictive, because a person must eat a high amount of protein and fat with an extremely low amount of carbohydrates.

The Mediterranean diet is often much simpler to follow, as it is inspired by people who live near the sea. It mostly includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and seafood, as well as olive oil.

©2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

In a study of 33 people with diabetes conducted for the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it was found that the keto diet had a 9% drop in HbA1c, or blood sugar levels, while the Mediterranean diet only resulted in a 7% drop. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

Do you wake up feeling sluggish most mornings? Have caffeinated beverages become a necessity to help power you through the day?

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to ditch the quick fixes you rely on, and develop an energy management plan. Getting started may seem daunting, but soon you’ll be energized to keep going once you recap the benefits of a happier, healthier and more productive lifestyle.

What is energy management?

Think of your energy as a limited resource, like money in an account. You begin the day with a certain amount to spend. The amount varies from person to person based on factors, such as age, sleep, stress levels, medical conditions and lifestyle.

Activities and interactions with draw energy from or deposit energy into your account. While you may not always have control over activ ities that deplete your energy, you can take steps to deposit more energy into your account.

Follow these seven tips to increase your energy and live a happier, healthier, more productive life:

1. Eat nourishing food.

A well-balanced, healthy diet is at the core of well-being. But it’s common to regard healthy eating primarily as a tool for weight loss. According to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables, lean

protein, low-fat dairy and whole grains is needed for optimal energy. You really are what you eat.

Consume a variety of foods from all the food groups to get a range of nutrients to provide energy throughout the day. Opt for fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, especially nutrient-dense dark, leafy greens and broccoli, as well as orange vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes. You can choose from many types of fish and legumes to choose from for healthy protein options. Aim to eat 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, rice or pasta daily.

2. Sleep seven to eight hours per night.

Prioritizing sleep is one of the best things you can do to set yourself up for a successful, energized day. Sleep deprivation can perpetuate serious health conditions, as well as negatively affect your mood, motivation and energy levels. Getting quality sleep is a healthy habit many people

need to improve. Most adults need at least seven to eight hours of shut-eye each night, so what prevents them from getting it?

Observe your sleep patterns if you are struggle with sleep. Take note of how much you sleep each night, factors that contribute to your sleep or lack of it, how rested you feel, and how much energy you have during your day. Then try sleep strategies to improve your sleep, like creating a relaxing and restful environment, minimizing light and noise, establishing a bed time routine, managing stress, and turning off electronic devices.

Whatever you decide to start with, be consistent. Utilizing the same sleep routine and sleep strategies will help develop your bodies internal alarm clock and can lead to improved sleep quality. With improved sleep quality, people experience better health, and improved emotional well-being, lower risk of diseases, and are more productive.

3. Keep company with good people.

Maximize the amount of time that you spend with people you enjoy being around. Connecting with others who radiate positivity and have similar interests will excite and energize you.

On the other side, people you don’t relate to you or who have negative outlooks, complain often, or make poor choices will only drain your energy account. Be selective about the company you keep.

It’s important to set limits and boundaries to protect yourself and conserve your energy when around people who do not refill your energy reserves.

4. Avoid news overdose.

Consuming news is an import ant way to stay connected to what’s happening in the world. It can be educational, entertaining and even uplifting.

Unfortunately, the news too frequently is filled with stories of suffering. These stories can skew your view of the world and cause you to focus on your worst fears instead of recognizing the good that surrounds you.

You can’t avoid these stories altogether, but try to minimize your exposure when you can, especially during trying times.

5. Get regular exercise. Do you find yourself feeling lethargic halfway through the day? Have you ever gotten winded by simple everyday duties, such as grocery

shopping or household chores? The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults complete at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week. Contrary to what you might believe, this will add to your energy account and not subtract from it.

Exercise relieves stress and tension, strengthens muscles and boosts endurance, and helps your body work more efficiently during other physical tasks or activities.

6. Do something meaningful each day.

What do you feel passionate about? Do you have a special talent that you’d like to practice more often or share with others? Do something you enjoy every day, even if it’s a simple act like cooking a healthy meal or listening to your favorite song. Putting effort into the things that matter most to you will help you use and reserve your energy in ways that will bring out the best in you.

7. Think good thoughts for others.

Maintaining a compassionate mindset is another way to conserve energy. One example of practicing this way of thinking is called kind attention. For example, try to make eye contact with a stranger and smile, while thinking “I wish you well.” This positive act can, instead, keep you from judging that person. Judging others can cause us to place judgment on ourselves, and that type of negative internal dialogue can be exhausting.

You’ll feel better with each step you take toward this important selfcare investment.

Here are a few simple activities that will help you become more mindful of caring for yourself:

•Monitor your energy. Take your energy “temperature” at various points throughout the day, assigning it a number from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest energy level. Pay attention to the details of your day so you can identify the people or events that impact you the most.

•Make incremental changes. Once you are aware of some of the people or events that sabotage your energy, consider your next steps. Rather than tackling everything at once, choose an area that is important to you, and be realistic with the goals you set. For instance, if disorganization in your home is a big source of daily stress, pick one cabinet, closet or drawer to clear out each week instead of overwhelming yourself with doing it all at once. Then move on to your next goal when you feel ready.

•Plan and prioritize. Take note of the times during the day when your energy levels tend to be the highest. Decide how you can take advantage of those moments by prioritizing important tasks when you are feeling fresh and productive.

Jolene Hanson is a clinical social worker in Psychiatry & Psychology in Mankato, Minnesota.

©2022 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

According to the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy and whole grains is needed for optimal energy. (Dreamstime/ TNS)

How to grocery shop during a recession

Nicole Dieker Bankrate.com (TNS)

Groceries are more expensive than ever. In July 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta tistics released data indicating that the cost of groceries had increased by 12.2 percent over the last twelve months. If you’re trying to inflation-proof your finances, you could be experiencing a lot of grocery-related financial stress right now.

To make matters worse, economists polled by Bankrate say there’s a 52 percent chance a recession is coming, which could mean many of us will have less money to spare for everyday spending.

You may be familiar with the clas sic ways to save money on groceries. Avoid shopping when you’re hungry, for example, and buy generic products instead of brand-name equivalents. But how do these tips apply when inflation is making even the generic products more expensive? And what can we do to save money on groceries if the economy goes from inflation to recession?

We wanted to give you the best expert advice on how to save money at the supermarket, so we asked money-saving expert Andrea Woroch how to grocery shop during a recession. She offered tips on what to buy, what to avoid and how to earn rewards on every purchase.

Order groceries online to avoid impulse purchases

If you want to keep your grocery bill down, you’re going to want to avoid impulse purchases. However, many supermarkets make it difficult to stick to your grocery list. “Tempting food displays lead to unnecessary grocery purchases,” Woroch explains. “People don’t realize how much extra they waste on impulse at the grocery store!”

Some people steer clear of food displays at registers, aisle end-caps and other impulse-purchase traps by making a grocery list before they shop. Other people use meal planning techniques to help them stay on budget — and ensure that everything they bring home is incorporated into a future meal.

If your grocery lists and meal

plans already help you avoid impulse buys, that’s great. But not everybody can successfully navigate a supermarket with out succumbing to temptation. That’s why Woroch suggests ordering groceries online instead. “Ordering online helps you stick to your list,” she says. “And you will ultimately save a lot more when not wasting money on impulse food items.”

What about grocery delivery fees? In many cases, you’ll still come out ahead. And keep in mind that many coupon apps offer dis counts that can help cover the cost of delivery. Woroch recommends sites like Coupon Cabin for deals on Vons, Kroger, Instacart and other brands aimed at grocery shoppers.

Use apps and credit cards to earn cash back

Avoiding impulse purchases is only the first step towards saving money at the grocery store. Savvy supermarket shoppers use cash back apps and credit cards that reward grocery purchases to maximize their rewards — and their savings.

“Figure out which of your credit cards will give you the most money back for food purchases,” says Woroch. She also suggests adding a flat-rate cash back credit card to your wallet, just in case you do your food shopping at a convenience store or big-box retailer that doesn’t earn grocery rewards.

“Most grocery credit cards are limited to food stores and don’t qualify for extra points or cash back at big box retailers,” says Woroch. “Without a flat-rate cash back card, you could miss out on earn ing rewards if you buy groceries from Walmart or Target.”

What about rewards apps like Ibotta or Fetch Rewards? Apps like these can save you money, but only if you use them on items you were going to buy anyway. “Review the special deals section to see which food brands will earn you more points, and purchase them if the item is already on your shopping list,” Woroch advises. Otherwise, you run the risk of making impulse purchases that could waste

both food and money.

Swap overpriced convenience foods for less expensive staples

Here’s one more tip that can help you save money on groceries, especially during a recession when prices might continue to rise. By swapping overpriced convenience foods for less expensive staples — name-brand cereal vs. store-brand oatmeal, for example — you give yourself the opportunity to not only save money, but also get more nutrition per dollar.

Shopping for whole foods and staples instead of prepared foods and convenience items can save you money, but you’ll need to be prepared to spend more time in the kitchen. “Anything that has been chopped, diced, sliced, pre-seasoned will cost more for conve nience,” Woroch says. “Buy the whole fruit or vegetable and larger slabs of meat to save 40 to 60 percent.”

If you don’t want to give up your favorite brands or convenience foods, you can always keep an eye out for

supermarket markdowns. “Look for foods nearing their expiration date that the store has marked down,” Woroch advises. “You can find deals on fresh foods and meats, chicken, fish, etc. of up to 70 percent off. I just scored nice cheese and a dip my husband loves for 50 percent off that I was planning to buy anyway.”

The bottom line

Grocery shopping has gotten more expensive in 2022 — no getting around that. But smart shoppers can save money by avoiding impulse buys, using credit cards that reward grocery purchases and swapping expensive convenience foods for lower-cost staples. If we end up in a recession, these tips will continue to help you save money every time you shop for food. And you may end up learning a few new cooking skills as a result!

Visit Bankrate online at bankrate.com. ©2022 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A person shops for groceries at Lincoln Market, in the Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/TNS)

Dion Lefler The Kansas City Star (TNS)

Iam now officially sick and tired of all the people out there trying to guilt me into not scanning my own groceries at the supermarket.

You see it all the time on social media, like this meme on my Facebook feed today:

NEVER USE A SELF CHECKOUT

1) They kill jobs

2) Self-checkout machines don’t contribute with pay roll taxes

3) They are not really that convenient SHARE IF YOU AGREE

I’m not sharing, but a lot of people are.

These kinds of posts are invariably followed by a raft of virtue-signaling com ments from shoppers who refuse to check themselves out and will stand in any length of line to stand in solidarity with the working men and women of America.

If I were actually harming workers by scanning my own groceries, I’d stand with you. But it’s a misguided crusade.

Let me take points one and two from the meme above together, because they have essentially the same answer: There is no shortage of grocery jobs.

There’s a reason every time you walk into a supermarket there’s a giant sign at the door begging you to come to work for them.

In fact, employment in the food-and-beverage sales sector is at an all-time high, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In June, there were just shy of 3.17 million people working in the sector, which includes grocery and liquor stores.

In June of 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic shook things up a bit, that number was 3.07 million. And 10 years ago, when self-scan was a lot less prevalent than it is now, it was 2.85 million.

Granted, there are fewer live-person checkout stands open than there once were.

But while you’re whining about having to scan your own groceries once or maybe twice a week, I’d invite you to imagine what it’s like to do that for eight hours, five days a week.

Amid the hundreds of memes and posts and

comments I’ve seen decry ing self-checkout, I have yet to see one from anyone wanting to put on an apron and take up their position behind the cash register.

The checkers didn’t go anywhere, they just have better jobs now. It’s one of the few silver linings to come out of the pandemic.

For fear of contracting COVID, a lot of us felt uncomfortable going inside the store and shopping for our own groceries. The pandemic has supercharged and mainstreamed the practice of online grocery ordering with either delivery or pickup.

When many returned to unmasked grocery shop ping, a lot of shoppers discovered they actually liked online ordering better

and kept doing it.

And groceries don’t put themselves in the cart.

Current statistics aren’t available, but you only have to visit your neighbor hood supermarket to see that there are fewer staffed checkout stands and more employees moving through the aisles with carts pulling stuff off the shelves.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’d much rather be walking around the store fulfilling people’s needs than standing at a counter saying “Do you have a Dillons card?” hundreds of times a day. It seems more stimulating and it’s better exercise.

And I’ll briefly address point three from the meme, that self-checkout isn’t more convenient. It is.

Remember back in the day, when you’d get stuck behind somebody with enough groceries to provision an Arctic expedition, while the ice cream in your cart was melting into chocolate milk? I sure do.

So I’m going to self-scan my groceries whenever I want. If you want to be a grocery martyr, have at it. It’s your time to waste for no good reason.

But if you really want to make a difference, let’s do something about suppliers cramming too many bags into the racks and crushing all the potato chips.

©2022 The Kansas City Star. Visit kansascity.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Current statistics your neighborhood supermarket to see that there are fewer staffed checkout stands and more employees moving through the aisles with carts pulling stuff off the shelves, writes Dion Lefler. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Joel Bobby Mayo Clinic News Network (TNS)

What used to be known as a simple, fun activity for kids now is a tool for practicing good mental health. Coloring has increased in popularity recently, especially for adults.

While children’s coloring books feature cartoon char acters and simple designs, adult coloring books have intricate patterns of flowers, artwork, mandalas or ani mals. Books are available for purchase, and you can print free coloring pages online. For people who prefer a digital version, many coloring apps are available for mobile devices.

But what makes adult coloring so popular?

Coloring can improve

your health by:

Promoting mindfulness

Coloring can help you be more mindful. Mindfulness is the ability to focus and stay in the moment.

For example, because you’re focusing on color choice and staying inside the lines, you’re only thinking about the present moment. You can shut off the noise around you, and give your mind the gift of focusing on the movements, sensations and emotions of your pres ent moment.

Practice being nonjudgmental as you go through the task with no expectations — just being in the moment. If your mind wanders, which is normal, gently return to what you are experiencing right now. While coloring, you use

the parts of your brain that enhance focus and concentration. It gives you the opportunity to disconnect from stressful thoughts.

Relieving stress

Coloring is a healthy way to relieve stress. It calms the brain and helps your body relax. This can improve sleep and fatigue while decreasing body aches, heart rate, respiration, and feelings of depression and anxiety.

Although coloring isn’t the ultimate cure for stress and anxiety, sitting down for a long coloring session holds great value. As you color, pay attention to your breathing rhythm, ensuring steady, full breaths from your diaphragm, and tune into your heart rate periodically if you can.

Embracing the imperfect

There’s no right or wrong way to color. Coloring is a noncompetitive activity, so there isn’t pressure to “level up,” win a prize or beat the clock. You can color for as long or as little time as you want. You don’t need to finish a picture in one sitting.

Try to let go of judgments or expectations and enjoy the simple beauty of coloring. It doesn’t matter

if your picture is neat or messy. The only thing that matters is if you found enjoyment and relaxation while coloring.

Joel Bobby is a licensed independent clinical social worker in Psychiatry & Psychology in Austin, Minnesota.

©2022 Mayo Clinic News Network. Visit newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Catios are the new craze

Here’s why and the benefits a patio for your cat provides

Some people have a meshed screen patio on their back porches to sit in during warm summer evenings to enjoy a drink and fresh air while staying free of pesky bugs.

Others use it as a sun and plant room, giving ample access to the sun and rain without worrying about leaf-eating critters.

But there’s now a third reason to have a meshed screen patio attached to the back of your house: your cat loves to be outside, but it may be killing innocent birds.

Luckily, there’s something called a catio that can help. It’s just what it sounds like: a cat version of a screened-in porch.

The nonprofit American Bird Conservancy estimates that cats worldwide combine to kill four billion animals worldwide each year and up to 500 million birds. Cats can also pick up illnesses from hunting birds, such as songbird fever, a name for salmonella in birds which can be passed on to felines and even humans.

“Cats are sick for a couple of days to a week or more. Up to 10% may die, especially if they are very young,

very old, or otherwise immunosuppressed,” Jennifer Coates, a doctor for the pet care information site PetMD, said in a blog post.

“Treatment for songbird fever includes supportive care (fluid therapy, anti-nausea medications, etc.), and antibiotics if the cat’s condition warrants their use,” Coates continued.

Most cats love going outside — they’re naturally outdoor animals and love to hunt, climb trees and lounge in the sun. But it’s not necessarily always good for them.

In addition to risks to wild birds, according to a study by the Animal Humane Society, the lifespan of outdoor cats is significantly shorter than their indoor counterparts. Cars, toxic plants and other wild animals are just a few of the many outdoor dangers that can shorten outdoor cats’ lives by as much as 10 to 12 years, according to the study.

That’s where a catio creates the best of both worlds.

A catio is precisely what it sounds like: an outdoor, enclosed patio for a cat. Its meshed screen walls allow cats to sit outside in the fresh air and sun while avoiding the dangers and temptations that the outdoors pose.

Decorations and add-ons wise, the

possibilities are endless. Ledges to jump up on, thick branches to climb, comfy chairs to sit on and dangling toys to play with are just a few options.

Benefits of a catio

Aside from avoiding illnesses, a catio will help cat owners avoid the nasty business of disposing of dead animals that their furball brings home. The website Catio Spaces lists the top 10 benefits a catio brings for your pet.

Some benefits include protecting your cat from outdoor threats and reducing veterinary bills due to injuries, but others benefit humans, too.

If you have multiple cats, Catio Spaces notes that providing an outdoor space will give cats more territory to roam and additional outdoor simulation that could help reduce conflicts and behavioral problems between cats. Putting a litter box in the catio can also help reduce indoor odors.

If you build the catio large enough, you can also integrate a sitting chair for yourself, allowing for additional bonding time with your cat outdoors, which is healthy for both parties. Even if you’re not outdoors with your pet, you’ll have peace of mind knowing

your cat is in a self-enclosure while still enjoying the outdoors.

Making or buying a catio

While a full patio-sized catio gives your cat the most space, it doesn’t have to be large. The website Adventure Cats shows examples of two smaller types of catios that can be attached to a window.

One was made out of a chameleon cage, while the other is a dog cage repurposed to attach to the window. Adventure Cats also reminds people to build up if they can’t build outward or wide. Cats; cats enjoy climbing and sitting in high places, and you can easily build ledges for your cat to tower high above in their catio.

Directions to build your own small catio that can be adjusted to fit any window size can be found on Adventure Cats’ website.

If you’d rather purchase a catio, there are several websites from which you can order one. Catio World provides descriptions and links to several online options, such as pre-designed kits from Habitat Haven and Amazon.

©2022 The Idaho Statesman. Visit idahostatesman.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Ansel plays near his favorite backyard hiding spot. (Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman/TNS)

Shaun Goodwin

The Idaho Statesman (TNS)

What is a good tip? Seattle-area tipped workers break it down

Maya Miller | The Seattle Times | (TNS)

Tipped workers form the backbone of the American service economy, and many of them suffered financially when the pandemic shut down restaurants, bars, hotels and tourism.

The Seattle Times asked workers across industries to share their experiences with tipping in their jobs. The workers also shared thoughts on what influences customers to tip as well as misconceptions about tipping that they wanted to dispel. Here’s what six of those workers had to say.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Name: Justin Wong

Occupation: Fishing charter guide with Cut Plug Charters in Seattle

What is a good tip?: $100 and above

What is an average tip?: Tip like a restaurant, 15-20% or $40-$60

What is a bad tip?: $10 or less

In your opinion, what influences whether or not a customer tips?: A lot of times people go into the charter knowing whether they are going to tip or not. It’s based on people’s past experience on charters. For first-timers, it’s 50-50 whether they will tip or not. Generally, they’ll ask ahead of time if gratuity is included or if it should be added on top. It’s also based on the quality of the experience — not necessarily how many fish they catch.

Are there any misconceptions about tipping you’d like to address?: Tip based on the price of your charter, not the $10 or $20 you might’ve tipped back in the 1980s. The charters back then were a lot cheaper than they are now.

Name: Adriana Robledo

Occupation: Server and food expediter at Grillbird in West Seattle

What is a good tip?: A good tip should vary, 15% to 20%, but if I’m honest, the whole tipping percentage in a casual eatery setting will always be a little odd. A teriyaki tip has always been $3 slapped on the table no matter what the grand total was. Today we’re tipping for things we’ve never had to tip for before. As a service worker who primarily cares

about a good experience, cash tips will always mean more to me (no matter the amount) over a tap on a swivel iPad that reassures the customer that they are, in fact, a good person.

What is an average tip?: 10% is average, in cash maybe $2-$3

What is a bad tip?: In my mind, there is no such thing as a bad tip. But I will side-eye you if your bill is $80 and you tip $2. I see you pressing the custom tip.

In your opinion, what influences whether or not a customer tips?: Almost always customer service. That being said, if your store does not allow dine in, you may get a $0 tip because people still think they only need to tip for table service.

Are there any misconceptions about tipping you’d like to address?: The whole, “Don’t go out to eat if you can’t tip,” argument. These days, eating out is considered a luxury. As grocery store prices increase, some people may argue that eating out costs almost as much as preparing a home-cooked dinner. It’s only fair to tip, because you are paying OTHER people to cook YOU dinner.

Name: Jeana Janik

Occupation: Server and wine director at Copine in Seattle

What is a good tip?: 18% or higher on the subtotal

What is an average tip?: 18-20%

What is a bad tip?: Below 15%

In your opinion, what influences whether or not a customer tips?: At our restaurant, I believe the sticker shock at the end of a meal sometimes pre vents guests from tipping adequately. A dinner for two with drinks after tax can be between $350 and $400. It’s not uncommon to see guests just round ing up the total without writing in the tip or just leaving $20 to $40 thinking that’s enough. There is also a question of whether or not the gratuity is already included, since many restaurants in Seattle have switched over to manda tory service charges. If the guest is from another country where tipping isn’t a common practice, they usually follow their cultural norms.

Are there any misconceptions about tipping you’d like to address?: A common misconception is that your sever gets 100% of the tip you gave

them. There are many different tip distribution practices in restaurants. For ours, we pool tips and split evenly between all of the front-of-house staff for the night. Other places require serv ers to take percentages of their sales and give that to support staff (like bussers, hosts and bartenders). Restaurants in Seattle are also able to charge their servers for credit card transactions, so depending on how many credit cards you swiped during your shift, you will give a small percentage (around 2%) back to the restaurant. With these sorts of places, if a server got stiffed by a guest, they would actually lose money by having to owe the other staff and restaurant money on that table’s sales.

Name: Tatiana Green

Occupation: Independent stylist at Sola Salon Studios in Lynnwood

What is a good tip?: 20%

What is an average tip?: 20%

What is a bad tip?: 10% or less In your opinion, what influences whether or not a customer tips?: How expensive the service is.

Are there any misconceptions about tipping you’d like to address?: If you own your business, people think that since you “make all the profit,” they don’t need to tip. We still pay taxes, and we pay more for supplies than if we were to work for a big salon.

Name: Jordan Koplowitz

Occupation: Chef and owner of Blotto in Seattle

What is a good tip?: 20%

What is an average tip?: 15-20%

What is a bad tip?: If the customer leaves no tip

In your opinion, what influences

whether or not a customer tips?: If they get food to-go.

Are there any misconceptions about tipping you’d like to address?: Tipping isn’t just for service — it’s for correct ing a broken pricing system. Tips make up the difference in how much food costs versus how much it should cost.

The restaurant industry can’t sell its product for a high enough price (people wouldn’t buy it and there’s too much competition), so we need tips in order for our employees to be compensated correctly. A pizza should really cost $40, but no one would pay that.

Name: Miles Partman

Occupation: Uber Eats and DoorDash deliverer

What is a good tip?: Anything you can survive on. Preferably $5 or more. After all, we’re not just doing you a favor.

What is an average tip?: $2 on low orders, $5 on good orders.

What is a bad tip?: $1 or no tip

In your opinion, what influences whether or not a customer tips?: The restaurant, the customer’s mood, if they have a bad attitude.

Are there any misconceptions about tipping you’d like to address?: We are not your slaves or doing you a favor. I’ve been doing this for four years and make a living on it.

Seattle Times staff reporters Bethany Jean Clement, Renata Geraldo, Gregory Scruggs, Jackie Varriano and Tan Vinh contributed to this story.

©2022 The Seattle Times

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Captain Justin Wong of Cut Plug Charters fillets salmon dockside after a successful outing on Aug. 17, 2022. Having a guide who will clean and fillet your fish is one of the perks of hiring a charter to go salmon fishing on Puget Sound. (Gregory Scruggs/The Seattle Times/TNS)

What are ‘Blue Zones’?

Nancy Clanton | The Atlanta JournalConstitution | (TNS)

There are five “Blue Zones” around the world, and the people who live in these areas are 10 times likelier than Americans to reach age 100. The name comes from the blue circles researchers drew on the map when identifying them.

“According to research published in Nutrients in May 2018, people living in these regions also enjoy lower rates of chronic disease than those living elsewhere, and their diet is believed to be a major component of why,” Everyday Health wrote.

Blue Zone diets are based on local and regional offerings while limiting processed foods, added sugars, meat and dairy, and focusing more on plant-based meals. While residents of the five areas tend to live longer and be healthier, Everyday Health reports, each place is different.

Okinawa, Japan: Older Okinawans rely on gardens, which not only provide fresh produce but also exercise and stress relief.

Sardinia, Italy: Sardinians limit meat consumption to Sundays and special events. The rest of the time they eat whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. They also indulge in a glass or two of red wine each day.

Nicoya, Costa Rica: Nicoya residents tend to eat a light dinner earlier than Americans do. In addition, older residents eat a lot of squash, corn and beans.

Ikaria, Greece: Residents of Ikaria subscribe to the Mediterranean diet, which was deemed the best diet of 2022. As Greek Orthodox Christians, fasts are a frequent part of their religious practices.

Loma Linda, California: Loma Linda is home to a community of Seventh-day Adventists. Its longest living residents are vegetarians

or pescatarians who eat a very little sugar, salt and refined grains.

Blue Zone diets aren’t just about what you’re eating, however. They’re also about how you eat.

“One of the principles is to eat until you’re satisfied rather than completely full,” registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty, co-author of “Sugar Shock,” told Everyday Health. This fuels your body with the right amount of food, so you maintain good digestion and energy balance.”

According to a 2016 study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, experts believe nine traits are responsible for the health and longevity of Blue Zone residents, and three of those pertain to diet.

The 80% rule: In Blue Zones, people tend to stop eating when they’re 80% full. They also have their bigger meals early, opting for lighter fare later in the day.

Plant slant: Blue Zone residents focus on fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. They tend to avoid meat or eat it only on special occasions.

Wine at 5: Although the research on the health benefits of even moderate amounts of alcohol is controversial, most people living in Blue Zones enjoy one to two glasses of wine daily.

Although Blue Zone diets are more about healthy living than losing weight, they are based on whole foods, which “tend to have fewer calories than pro cessed forms of carbohydrates, protein or fats,” Dr. Selvi Rajagopal, an internal medicine and obesity specialist with Johns Hopkins, told Everyday Health. “So (this diet) tends to help people maintain a healthier weight because overall, calorically, they’re not taking in as much.”

©2022 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.)

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Southeast Botanical Garden in Okinawa, Japan. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Things you can do while you’ve got TIME ON YOUR HANDS

tension you might be feeling. Audiobooks work great, too.

Time is our most valuable asset, and wasting it is not good for your psyche. If you’re in line at the bank, stuck at the office or trapped at home hoping the plumber will arrive soon, you can do a number of things to enhance your life, and not just wait for the time to pass.

1.Get out your phone and do some work or play. You can listen to music, read an article or call a friend. If you use the time to relax or do something productive, that will help you feel better about having to wait for whatever it is you’re needing to do or get done.

2.Always be reading a book. It doesn’t matter if it takes you a year, because having a book you are leisurely meandering through is a great way to improve your mind and help you ease any

3.Make sure your playlist is up to date. It’s wise to have music for any occasion on your phone, because you never know when you might need a little Mozart or perhaps Dr. Dre. Music can lift your spirits and soothe your mood, so having it handy is a great self-preservation tool. Don’t leave home without it.

4.J.K. Rowling wrote her first book in her spare time. I think I did the same. If you’re always working on a book, you always have something to do, and the process can be very rewarding as well as fun and creative. Rowling certainly did well. There’s a book inside of you, and you know it.

5.Organize something. A junk drawer, your desk, your bathroom counter, the garage — but wait

there’s more. We all have something that needs to be straightened out, and when you complete that simple task, you get some really good energy, which will lead to better thoughts and actions.

6.Clean out your digital devices. You no doubt have too many old emails, texts and calls taking up space, both on your device and in your mind, every time you see them. Such momentary distractions add up into wasted time.

7.Do the dishes. It will take about 10 minutes, and during that time, just enjoy the warm soapy water. Afterward, you can give yourself a manicure.

8.If you have a pet, give it some love. When our cat had a cancer scare, we totally doted on her, and even though she’s been very loving her whole life, during that time she got used to the extra

attention and is now demanding it. She asks you to pet her whenever you walk by; it’s pretty cute and we are soaking up the love more too. Our pets are not with us forever.

I really hate wasting time. It happens to us all, but some of these methods will make the passing of this time more pleasurable and perhaps enlighten you a little. At least you won’t be bored, and you’ll feel better about yourself.

Dr. Barton Goldsmith, a psychotherapist in Westlake Village, Calif., is the author of The Happy Couple: How to Make Happiness a Habit One Little Loving Thing at a Time. Follow his daily insights on Twitter at @BartonGoldsmith, or email him at Barton@bartongoldsmith.com.)

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

If you’re in line at the bank, stuck at the office or trapped at home hoping the plumber will arrive soon, you can do a number of things to enhance your life. (Dreamstime/TNS)

Barton Goldsmith | Tribune News Service (TNS)

10 cheap BEERS you’ll actually enjoy drinking

Josh Noel Chicago Tribune (TNS)

Inflation won’t quit.

The price of gas has reached the stratosphere. The stock market is taking a beating. And I won’t even start on crypto. Boy, could we use a beer.

But we don’t need just any beer in these fraught economic times. What we need more than ever is good beer at an even better value.

That doesn’t mean it’s time to pretend we’re in college and settle for oceans of cheap, lousy beer. It means bang for the buck. It means finding the beers that perform above their price. It means

finding the great deals hiding in plain sight.

I tasted about 25 beers to assemble this list, shopping with an eye on price, but shunning anything that didn’t pass the most essential test: good taste. There is no sacrificing quality on this list. In a few cases — looking at you, Trumer Pils and Victoria — these are arguably among the finest examples of their style on shelves.

These 10 beers punch above their financial weight, starting with the cheapest. Prices are taken from the ubiquitous chain of Binny’s stores, which means you may occasionally find them a little cheaper or slightly more expensive. Prices do not take into account sales

— and several of these beers can be found at sale prices, which make them better deals still — and reflect the prices at the time of publication.

1. Hamm’s (Molson Coors)

Style: Light American lager

There’s a lot of cheap beer in this world, but rarely do those beers boast much depth. Hamm’s, which won our blind tasting of American macro beers five years ago, is easy drinking, but also boasts that depth: a clean malty backbone with a touch of yeast-driven fruitiness that dries out in the finish. It’s just weighty and interesting enough, but light enough, in terms of both flavor and its 4.7% alcohol, to enjoy on repeat.

Speaking of repeat, the reason Hamm’s is a tiptop deal is the key to finding value in beer: volume. Beer gets cheaper the larger the package, which is the reason there are few six-packs on this list. But a 30-pack? Now we’re talking value! What’s more: With gas averaging $5.93 per gallon in the

Chicago area as of midJune, Hamm’s is actually cheaper than the 4.6 cents per ounce you’re paying at the pump.

Price: 30-pack of 12-ounce cans for $14.99; 4.1 cents per ounce

2. Pilsner Urquell (Pilsner Urquell Brewery)

Style: Czech-style pilsner There’s nothing otherworldly about Pilsner Urquell, but it’s as dependable as beer comes — and, despite its meager 4.4% alcohol, a clear step up in heft and complexity from most major Amer ican brands. But it’s still eminently approachable, a soft pilsner with min imal hop bite, but crisp grassy softness.

Price: 4-pack of 16.9ounce cans for $5.99; 8.8 cents per ounce

3. Local’s Light (Short’s Brewing)

Style: Craft light American lager

After years of mocking light beer, craft breweries such as Short’s figured out the medium is so popular for a reason: they’re simple, refreshing and people like them.

Local’s Light is weightier than its largest light beer competitors in terms of both flavor and alcohol (5.2%, which is a lot for a “light” beer). But Local’s Light is crisp and bright easy drinking. Bonus: at 115 calories and 3 grams of carbs per can, it’s a part of the recent low-cal trend in craft beer.

Price: 12-pack of 12-ounce cans for $12.99; 9 cents per ounce

4. Josephsbrau Bavarian Style Hefeweizen (Trader Joe’s)

Style: Hefeweizen

You had to figure Trader Joe’s and its array of cheap beer brands had to appear somewhere on this list. I tried several of them looking for that intersection of quality and price and landed here, with a fairly faithful, if not slightly sweet, take on this classic German ale.

Josephsbrau Bavarian Style Hefeweizen hits the style’s expected banana and clove notes with abundance, reminiscent of banana bread in the aroma and on the palate, but while

Hamm’s, Pilsner Urquell and Local’s Light from Short’s Brewing. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Josh Noel’s picks for best value beers. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

10 BEERS

From Page 18

remaining crisp, dry and refreshing. This is not a definitive take on hefeweizen, but at this price, it is a very respectable effort.

Price: 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles for $6.49; 9 cents per ounce

5. Trumer Pils (Trumer Brauerei Berkeley)

Style: German-style pilsner

Made by an Austrian brewery in Berkeley, California, this is my favorite beer on this list, worthy of being a year-round fridge staple. It’s a perfectly threaded pilsner: a softly floral aroma, with notes of grass and hay, that’s spry and dry on the palate with light bitter muscularity in finish. It’s never the wrong time for a Trumer Pils.

Many excellent craft pilsners sit on shelves, but this one is comparable to most, and at a significantly cheaper price. Out of curiosity, I also tried Trumer alongside the Trader Joe’s take on pilsner, which maps out to about the same price. Trumer is far better.

Trumer Pils is available in 12-packs of cans and green bottles; go with the cans to avoid the “skunking” that can come with light exposure.

Price: 12-pack of 12-ounce cans for $13.99; 9.7 cents per ounce

6. Victoria (Constellation Brands)

Style: Mexican lager

Here’s a list of Mexican imports more expensive than Victoria: Corona, Corona Light, Pacficio, Modelo Especial and Modelo Negra. Which of those more expensive beers do I prefer to Victoria? None of them (though Pacifico and Modelo Negra are close).

This amber brew with a toasty note in the aroma is the epitome of laid-back approachability — crisp, balanced, but with a lightly malty touch. And it’s aces alongside food, whether a burger or a plate of enchiladas. There are cheaper Mexican beers — Tecate, for instance — but they’re also

one-note by comparison. I’d rather spend a little more for Victoria, which is a bargain among Mexican imports.

Price: 12 pack of 12-ounce bottles for $14.99; 10.4 cents per ounce

7. Big Wave Golden Ale (Kona Brewing/Anheuser-Busch)

Style: Golden ale

Bought by Anheuser-Busch in 2020, it’s no surprise that Kona beers are priced competitively; that has been much of Anheuser-Busch’s decadeslong approach to dominating the beer industry.

The result is some beers that are excellent bang for the buck, though. It may be the Hawaiian brand ing winning me over — no matter that this beer is made at Anheus er-Busch breweries in California, Colorado, Oregon and New Hamp shire — but there’s an appealing tropical fruit element to this beer, a pleasant banana-mango note (even though no fruit is added) in a light, crisp, lean and refreshing ale that’s a true summer sipper.

Price: 12-pack of 12-ounce bottles for $15.99; 11.1 cents per ounce

8. Anchor Steam (Anchor Brewing)

Style: Steam beer

The most classic of American craft beers, with roots stretching back 125 years, continues to hold up in a sea of competitors: toasty, malty, yeast-driven fruitiness (in the berry-melon realm) with a dash of bitterness, Anchor Steam remains balanced, approachable and elegant. It’s a modest 4.9% alcohol and another beer that’s excellent with food.

Price: 12-pack of 12-ounce bottles for $16.99; 11.7 cents per ounce

9. VarietI-PAck (Lagunitas Brewing)

Style: India pale ales

Lagunitas was a pioneer in the craft beer realm with an early embrace of brewing IPA and selling it at a competitive price. Both have only become truer since the brewery’s sale to Heineken in 2015.

Lagunitas has remained as deft with hoppy beer as any large

brewery. But the real standout in the VarietI-PAck — a variety park of IPAs, naturally — is, well, the variety: three cans each of four hoppy beers (the flagship IPA, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, Hazy Wonder and DayTime low-calorie IPA), all of them dependable, at a price cheaper than most craft 12-packs.

Price: $17.99 for 12-pack of 12-ounce cans; 12.5 cents per ounce

10. Fresh Squeezed IPA (Deschutes Brewery)

Style: IPA

With IPAs, the challenge is obvious when aiming for value: these tend to be expensive beers, and the ones available cheaply generally aren’t very good. Trust me — I tried several for this endeavor.

Fresh Squeezed is the most expensive beer here — but for

a very good IPA, it’s a very good deal.

Like the best and most interesting IPAs, Fresh Squeezed offers intensely fruity aromatic hoppy notes — mango, papaya — but also hits the intersection of dry, bitter and balanced on the palate. It’s really everything you could want from an IPA. It’s at least a few bucks cheaper than comparable IPAs, and a clear step up from cheaper ones. It’s often on sale too. I found it at a steal of a price of $12.99, which makes its per-ounce cost comparable to the Trader Joe’s beers.

Price: 12-pack of 12-ounce cans for $18.99; 13.1 cents per ounce

©2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trader Joe’s Josephsbrau Bavarian Style Hefeweizen, Trumer Pils, and Victoria Mexican lager. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Laguinitas DayTime, Anchor Steam, and Fresh Squeezed IPA from Deschutes Brewery. (E. Jason Wambsgans/ Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Nick Kindelsperger | Chicago Tribune (TNS)

After digging into the phenomenal grilled octopus skewers at Sueños for my most recent restaurant review, I paused briefly and thought to myself, “Wow, I’ve been eating a lot of octopus lately.”

You can spot the cephalopod at a shocking number of new restaurants. It’s almost strange not to find octopus on new menus. Just in the past year, you can find it at Alpana, Alla Vita, Jibaritos y Mas, Nisos Mediterranean, Lyra, Obelix, Peanut Park Trattoria, Rose Mary and Bazaar Meat. (I’m sure I’m missing places too.)

Not that I’m complaining. Octopus is consistently one of the most enticing offerings on any menu. Gone are the days when you have to worry about tough and chewy tentacles. Instead, the meat is always astonishingly tender, while the edges are crispy and charred. Few foods pick up the aroma of smoke from a grill better.

This is not a surprise to Lee Wolen, chef at Boka and Alla Vita. “Octopus is the new shrimp cocktail,” Wolen said. “I’ve been saying that for years.” He also has the data to back it up. “It’s the No. 1 seller every week at Boka,” he said. Wolen said he just recently discussed eliminating the dish because it’s been on the menu for years, but it’s his favorite thing to eat and customers love it, so it’s sticking around.

Wolen also has an interesting theory about why octopus dishes are becoming a fixture at restaurants.

“People love octopus but would never cook it at home,” he said. “You can buy frozen cooked shrimp at most grocery stores, but it takes time to cook octopus. We confit it olive oil for hours, and then grill it.”

Another factor for the rise in popularity might be better access. Doug Psaltis, chef and co-owner of Andros Taverna, believes restaurants can now source much better octopus than they used to be able to. “Octopus has gained popularity because the quality of octopus that’s available right now is unparalleled,” he wrote in an email. “It’s no surprise that more restaurants are offering it, and it’s exciting to see.”

When Andros Taverna opened, its

‘Octopus is the new shrimp cocktail’

Mediterranean octopus dish received immediate raves, even though it was presented plainly on a plate with little more than a lemon wedge. I was so stunned by the juicy, pork-like texture that I included the dish in my post about the best bites of 2021. At the time, Psaltis explained that he had an “octopus guy” in New York that sourced great octopus from Spain. Indeed, most chefs I’ve talked to said they get their octopus from Spain, with the occasional mention of Morocco. According to Nisos Mediterranean’s chef, Avgeria Stapaki, the octopuses from Spain are larger and have a texture that customers in Chicago seem to prefer. She said that in Greece, where she is from, octopuses are usually smaller and are subject to a much different process once caught. “In Greece, it’s traditional for the fishermen to hit them a hundred times on the rocks,” she said. “Then they put it in the sun for days so it gets

softer, and then they grill it.”

Stapaki says she’s noticed local demand for octopus, but for her, there was never any doubt she’d offer it at Nisos. “For me personally, I have octopus on the menu because it’s in the philosophy and diet of Greece,” she said.

Then again, many people wonder whether we should eat the octopus at all. Much has been made of their remarkable intelligence. In a recently published piece on BBC. com, Martha Henriques writes that there is “growing consensus” in the scientific community that “octopuses are most likely sentient.” Though she does note “imagining an octopus’ inner life is a hard thing to do from our human standpoint.”

Erin Anderssen also recently wrote a piece called “Consider the Octopus” for the Globe and Mail, where she questions whether it is ethical for a Spanish company to

open the first commercial octopus farm. She notes that there is a “loud and angry chorus of scientists, environmentalists and philosophers say that octopus farming can’t ethically — or humanely — be done.”

I had my own slight octopus conundrum after watching “My Octopus Teacher” on Netflix, which followed a diver’s interactions with a South African octopus. (In 2021, the movie won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.) After it ended, I considered whether or not I should eat such a remarkable creature.

As it happened, the very next day I dined at Andros Taverna and tasted the best octopus I’d ever had. Wherever you stand on eating octopus, there’s no sign that diners in Chicago are anywhere close to slowing down.

©2022 Chicago Tribune. Visit chicagotribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Jenn Harris Los Angeles Times (TNS)

What is a dumpling?

That’s the question I posed to dozens of chefs and other experts over the last year on my quest to understand one of the world’s most beloved, pervasive foods.

“Technically, a spring roll is a dumpling,” chef Shirley Chung says during a recent visit to her Ms. Chi restaurant in Culver City. Seated next to her at a table are food writer Andy Wang and culinary consultant and event producer Caryl Chinn. I sought counsel from these

three because they are known for their dumpling expertise — after all, they refer to themselves as the Dumpling Mafia. “The definition is [it] has a wrapper and has a filling. ‘Dumpling’ is a big umbrella.”

Also on her list of dumplings: cabbage rolls, empanadas, even calzones, which she refers to as “giant dumplings.”

“So based on this, then, a chimichanga is a dumpling,” Wang adds.

“A taquito is a dumpling because it’s a Mexican spring roll,” Chung says.

I chime in to ask if Uncrustables, the crustless, sealed white bread pockets filled with peanut butter and

jelly found in the frozen aisle at most grocery stores, are a dumpling. I’m half kidding.

“Yes, oh my God,” Chung says, “that’s totally a dumpling.”

And we all descend into the dumpling rabbit hole. Indeed, my notion of a dumpling expanded exponentially as I filmed Season 2 of “The Bucket List” video series, with 11 episodes devoted to filled and wrapped, steamed, grilled, fried and boiled delicacies.

According to cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, there is no right answer about what makes a dumpling a dumpling.

“I think the problem is people always want a

narrow answer, and when you think of the breadth of what a dumpling is you have to really be flexible,” she says during a recent call. “When you realize that every single cuisine has a dumpling ... food is a way to unite us, not divide us, so be generous with the answer.”

At first I thought the history of the dumpling might shed some light on a

definition. Turns out, there is no single, widely agreedupon origin for dumplings. Author Barbara Gallani traces their evolution in her 2015 book, “Dumplings: A Global History,” citing variations in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe dating back centuries. Gallani’s book recognizes dumplings

SEE DUMPLING,

An order of gyoza made by Brandon Kida of Go Go Gyoza dumpling. (Jenn Harris/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

that are filled and wrapped, unwrapped and unfilled, roughly cut, precisely folded and everything in between.

“The dumpling has developed independently in many different parts of the world through the use of common ingredients,” she writes. “Travel and commercial exchanges have contributed to the transfer of certain shapes and combinations of tastes from country to country and across continents.”

Depending on who you ask, tamales and humitas in Latin America, fermented corn kenkey in West Africa, cinnamon-sauced souskluitjies in South Africa, Turkey’s tatar boregi (also known as manti) and spatzle in Austria are all dumplings.

There are just as many terms used for dumplings around the world as there are variations. The etymology of many relates to their shape or filling.

“The English word dumpling, for example, has been traced back to the sixteenth or seventeenth century when the now-obsolete noun ‘dump,’ which probably meant ‘lump,’ was given a diminutive suffix,” writes Gallani.

In Cantonese, the word “wonton” can be translated to “swallowing clouds,” which can reference the shape of dumplings floating in soup. Jiaozi, Chinese crescent dumplings, derive their name from both their

shape (“jiao” can mean “horn”) and backstory. It is widely believed that a Chinese medical practitioner named Zhang Zhongjing invented jiaozi during the Han Dynasty, looking for a way to help villagers suffering from frostbite, mainly around the ears, during the bitterly cold winters. He wrapped mutton and healing herbs in scraps of dough and served them in hot broth.

It’s easy to associate dumplings with Asian cuisine. In her 2009 book “Asian Dumplings,” Nguyen purposely included dishes that would challenge most people’s understanding of Asian dumplings. There are recipes in her book for spicy potato samosas; beef, sweet potato and raisin turnovers; Shanghai and Filipino spring rolls; sticky rice and chicken in lotus leaf; dried shrimp and scallion rice rolls; Nepalese vegetable and cheese dumplings; steamed filled buns and baked buns.

“The thing with Asian dumplings is people think that they just boil down to dim sum, and even in the world of dim sum, there are all kinds. They are not all potstickers and soup dumplings,” says Nguyen. “When I was considering what dumplings to include, I went to the crux of what a dumpling is, and they are inherently made with common ingredients you have on hand, and that’s why they comfort us so much.”

I grew up sampling a multitude of dumplings at grand Chinese shopping centers in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley, well-lighted, colorful mazes full

of restaurants touting dense and wheaty boiled fish dumplings, steamer baskets full of thin-skinned xiao long bao, translucent-skinned har gao, wontons that looked like fish tails floating in chile oil, pan-fried potstickers and golden half-moons swollen with chopped greens and glass noodles.

When traveling, I visit the Chi natown of any major city in search of dumplings.

I started taking friends on dumpling crawls about a decade ago, eager to introduce any interested party to the wide swaths available in my beloved shopping malls. Although the crawls primarily took place in the San Gabriel Valley, I knew there was so much more to explore. (Next month, I’m hosting a version of my dumpling crawl on Sept. 24 at Night Market during the L.A. Times Food Bowl.)

In Los Angeles, we’re lucky enough to find dumplings from all over the world. There are king dumplings as big as softballs, buoyant and teeming with bits of chopped pork and kimchi, glass

noodles and chives in Koreatown. Plates of gyoza connected by a thin, crispy layer of lacy starch are never hard to find. Glendale is home to trays of manti doused in a savory tomato sauce and thick yogurt.

“The Bucket List’s” second season is devoted to everyone’s definition of a dumpling. Over the course of the season, you’ll hear from dumpling makers from Armenia, China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Italy and Eastern Europe. There isn’t just one definition, and no one is wrong — even when they call an Uncrustables sandwich a dumpling.

“Chinese families, we fold dumplings together for Chinese New Year; … Mexican families, they get together Christmas Eve to make tamales together,” Chung says. “It’s exactly the same culture. It’s all about love and family.”

Find “The Bucket List: Dumplings” video series at youtube.com/ latimesfood.

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DUMPLING Shirley Chung works Tauger/Los Angeles